When V. D. Satheesan becomes the Chief Minister of the state, the two-decade-old Kerala political situation would be repeated. There are striking parallels between Satheesan’s rise to the Chief Ministership in 2026 and veteran CPM leader V. S. Achuthanandan’s ascent to the top post exactly two decades prior in 2006.
If the CPM had bowed to public sentiment in 2006, in 2026, it became the Congress. At that time, the CPM tried not to give V. S. Achuthanandan a seat to contest in the assembly polls. When the people took to the streets, the PB intervened and gave a seat to VS, and led the victorious LDF government.
Achuthananadan took over as the Chief Minister without any administrative experience. His rise stemmed from his excellent performance as the leader of the Opposition and the popular support his leadership abilities garnered. Satheesan is now in a similar situation. VD Satheesan becomes the Chief Minister of Kerala without any previous administrative experience, including in a grama Panchayat. The popular support he gained through his excellent performance as the Leader of the Opposition is his asset
The primary challenge for the newly-selected Chief Minister VD Satheesan is managing the state’s highly vulnerable fiscal situation while fulfilling extensive pre-election development promises. Stabilising the state economy by reversing public debt and managing fiscal deficits are his other challenges as Chief Minister.
Unifying competing state Congress factions, handling pressure from national leadership and transforming the Congress—which had collapsed after the Left Front came to power—into a strong party again.